This invention relates to a change dispensing machine adapted to dispense change coins in an automatic vending machine.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional change dispensing machine of this type. In FIG. 1, reference character A designates change dispensing boards; C, disks rotated by an electric motor with a reduction gear (not shown); and D, slots formed in the end portions of the change dispensing boards A. The disks C have protrusions B engaged with the slots D of the change dispensing boards A so that the change dispensing boards A are slidably moved along guide boards (not shown) in the directions of P--P. In FIG. 1, reference characters E designates stacks of change coins. The change dispensing boards A are provided with change receiving inlets (not shown). As is apparent from FIG. 1, one change dispensing board A is provided for each stack of change coins. Only the change dispensing board A required for change dispensation is operated, so that the change coins are dispensed through a change dispensing outlet (not shown).
The conventional change dispensing machine is disadvantageous in the following points: Since the guide boards must be provided for the change dispensing boards A, respectively, it is necessary to provide a predetermined distance a between adjacent change dispensing boards A. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a sufficient number of stacks of change coins E in the limited internal space in the automatic vending machine. Accordingly, sometimes it is impossible to dispense the necessary number of change coins.
This difficulty may be eliminated by increasing the height of each stack of change coins. However, the increment of the height of the coin stack is also limited in the limited space in the vending machine. Consequently, in order to eliminate the drawback, there is no other way than increasing the number of coin stacks. However, it is impossible to increase the number of coin stacks because it is impossible to reduce the distance a between adjacent change dispensing boards A in the conventional change dispensing machine.